Apparatus for sealing containers



Feb. 6, 1945. P. E; FISCHER 2,368,817

APPARATUS FOR SEALING CONTAINERS Filed Aug. 31, 1943 4 Sheets-Sheet 1Feb. 6, 1945. FISCHER 2,368,817

'APP ARATUS FOR SEALING CONTAINERS Filed Aug. 31, 1945 4 Sheets-Sheet 2Feb. 6, 1945. E. Fl-SCH-ER 2,368,817

APPARATUS FOR SEALING CONTAINERS Fi 1ed Aug. .31; 1945 4 Sheets-Sheet 4Fatented Feio. 6, 1945 APPARATUS F018, SEALENG @QN'EAHNLERS Paul E.Fischer, Portland, Conn, assignor to Mar athon @orporation, acorporation of Wisconsin Application August 31, 1943, Serial No.Siliifidii 2 Qlaims. (Cl. l13-l9)' This invention relates to anapparatus for securing an end closure to the end of cylindrical andtruncated conical containers.

According to the present invention a device is provided for quickly andeasily applying and securely locking and sealing covers upon containers.The apparatus is particularly adapted for applying covers to papercylindrical containers provided with an upper metal rim portion. Thepresent device secures a complemental metal band provided on a papercover which is crimped into locking engagement with the metal rim on thecontainer.

The device of the present invention comprises essentially a series ofcrimping rollers which are carried on bell-crank arms that are actuatedso as to cause the rollers to progressively engage the metal band on thecover for crimping or bending it into locking engagement with the metalrim on the container, whereby the cover is attached and sealed to thecontainer.

Other features, advantages and objects of the invention will be moreparticularly apparent from the following specification and appendeddrawings, wherein Figure 1 is a top plan view of the sealing device,

Figure 2 is a sectional view taken on lines 2-2 of Figure l,

Figure 3 is a side elevational view of one of the crimping rollers inits initial crimping position,

Figure 4 is a similar view showing the crimping roll in its finalposition,

Figure 5 is a fragmental sectional view of the upper portion of thecontainer and cover in the initial crimping stage,

Figure 6 is a fragmental perspective view of the unattached cover andcontainer, and

Figure 7 is a modified form of construction of the sealing device. V

Referring more in detail to the drawings, the apparatus comprises threecrimping rollers it,

each rotatably mounted on a shaft H which is on the bell-crank lever 9.Frame-member i6 is provided with brackets 25 carrying handles 36. StemI8 is fixedly attached to bearing plate so which is provided with amachined fiat camv bearing surface 3| adjacent its outer periphery.Lever-arms M of the bell-crank lever 9 are provided with pressurerollers rotatably mounted on shafts 36. Rollers 35 have a convex contouras shown in Figures 3 and 4. Bearing plate 36 is provided with apertures40 in order to reduce its weight. Bearing plate 30 is channeled at itsouter lower periphery for a purpose to be explained later. K i

The apparatus described is particularly adapted for sealing covers oncontainers having the construction illustrated in Figures, wherein thebody of the. cylindrical container made of heavy fiberboard and the likeis provided at its upper open end with a U-shaped metal rim 5! securelyfastened thereto. Metal rim 5! is provided with an outwardly extendingbeaded portion 52. A cover 53 made of fiberboard is provided with ametal rim or band Etafiixed to its outer periphery having an extendingcurved flange portion 55.

The cover 53 is sealed on the container by the present apparatus so asto assume the final condition illustrated in Figure 4 wherein the curvedflange portion 65 of the band 5% on the cover is crimped or bent overinto snug engagement with the bead portion 52 of themetal rim 5B of thecontainer. In order to provide a hermetic seal an elastic ring or tubeill may be interposed'between the rim members 55 and 55 as shown inFigure 5.

- In sealing covers on containers with the present apparatus, a cover 55is placed on the open end of a container 50 in the position illustratedin Figure 5. The sealing device is then positioned manually sothatbearing plate 313 is positioned over the cover 53, the channeledportion es engaging the upper curved flange portion 55 of rim member 5%.Light pressure is then applied manually to both handles 26 and at thesame time they are rotated one-third of the circumference. Pressurerolls 35 will assume an initial position as illustrated in Figure 3making contact with the flat bearing surface 3! at the inner peripherythereof, and upon rotation of the spider 3t, the

convex surface of pressure rolls 35 will make progressive rollingcontact with the surface 371 until the position illustrated in Figure 4is as-.

position shown in Figure 3 to the final position shown in Figure 4.During the travel of the crimping rollers 60 the outer flange portion 55of the rim member 54 on cover 53 will be crimped inwardly toward thecontainer body 50 and bent into firm engagement'with the head portion 52of the container rim St. The shaping of -fla'nge portion 55 into thecontour complemental with the bead 52 is accomplished by providing rollsill with a fiat medial portion 8 and an upper inwardly curved or concaveportion 7. The initial contact of the rollers it) with the outermostportion of fiangevportion 56 is made by the fiat medial portion 8 ofrollers in and the crimping is performed by the inwardly curvedportion 1. Upon rotation of the spider member through arms 26 one-thirdof a revolution, the entire circumference of the rim flange member 54will be contactedand crimped into locking position. If desired, insteadof manual rotation of spider member 56, it' may be attached to a motordriven spindle 66 as illustrated in Figure 5. For this purpose spidermember 30 is provided with a sleeve 85 which is fixedly attached tospindle 60 said spider, said plate being adapted for seating" on saidend closure, a plurality of bell-crank levers hinged at the extremitiesof the said spider extending i peripheral margin of an end closure tothe end arms, said bell-crank levers comprising an outer normally urgingsaid bell-crank levers outwardly, a crimping roller rotatably mounted oneach of said outer lever-arms, a pressure roll rotatably mounted'oneach'ofsaid inner leverarms, said pressure rolls being adapted to rotateand bear on the said bearing plate to pivot the said bell-crank leverinwardly whereby said .of a container comprising a spider having spacedarms, a circular bearing plate slidably carried beneath said spider on acentrally positioned stem, said plate being adapted for seating on saidend closure, a fiat cam surface adjacent the outer periphery of saidbearing plate, a plurality of hell-crank levershinged at the extremitiesof the said spider arms, said bell-crank levers comprising an outerlever-arm and an inner .to pivot the said bell-cranklever inwardlywhereby said crimping rolls will move in an are for crimping saidextending peripheral margin of said end closure, and meansto move saidspider toward said bearing plate so as to bring the crimping rollersinto engagement with the peripheral margin of -said-closure to crimp thesame about the end of the container.

PAUL E. FISCHER.

